Provides comprehensive Economic Stress Testing and Retail Credit Riskmanagement solutions focused on improving economic return. Our experience includes working with companies worldwide to improve portfolio performance and meet Basel II regulatory requirements. Applications include: We are chosen by clients because of the uniqueness of our services--we are the only major provider that is able to adequately account for both non-economic and economic factors in explaining changes in credit quality. Moody’s Economy.com combines expertise in standard credit risk modeling like Probability of Default (PD), Loss Given Default (LGD), Economic Capital requirements and industry leading economic scenario analysis.Credit Risk Management
Retail Credit Risk Management
Explaining Retail Credit Portfolio Performance
Credit Risk Management
Labels: ECONOMY |
How to Find Investments
Labels: INVESTMENT |There are risks involved in all investing. The skill of investing is knowing which risks are worth taking, and which should be avoided. Finding and knowing which risks to take is the essence of good investing and the whole reason that investments can pay such a high reward. It cannot be done without careful research and analysis. You must give yourself every chance to make the right decision. Investing without carrying out sufficient research is like playing roulette. You are giving yourself virtually no chance of covering your investments and avoiding disaster.
There are certain steps you will have to take in order to give yourself a fighting chance of being a successful investor. If you are considering investing in company shares on the stock market, then you should be aware that all publicly traded companies must provide investors and potential investors with access to company financial data. This data is generally available from the company so if you are considering buying into a company, then get access to this information and satisfy yourself that the company is in a good financial state before parting with any money.
Be Aware
If you do research a company, and are taking a look at its financial position, then you should look back two to three years into the past. You probably don’t need to go back further than this but if you go back less, there may be important trends in the finances that you will miss. Take special note of the quarterly statements and the revenue and earnings per share.
You should be trying to identify trends in certain figures. While these are no guarantee of what might happen In the future it is undeniable that an upward trend in revenue and profits will be a positive sign to look out for.
Once you have satisfied yourself with the basic financials of the company and that the prospects of making good profits into the future are favourable you will be in a position to consider putting money into the share. There is an ongoing debate over whether it’s preferable to buy shares that will increase in value, or shares that pay good dividends and the answer to this question must always lie with the individual investor. What must be remembered however is that there is little point in chasing dividends. This refers to the practice of buying a share just before a dividend is expected to be announced. The price of the share will already have taken the dividend into account so you will be paying for it in any case.
Credit Card: Cost and Fraud
Labels: CREDIT CARD, FINANCE |In recent times, credit card portfolios have been very profitable for banks, largely due to the booming economy of the late nineties. However, in the case of credit cards, such high returns go hand in hand with risk, since the business is essentially one of making unsecured (uncollateralized) loans, and thus dependent on borrowers not to default in large numbers.
Credit card issuers (banks) have several types of costs:
---Interest expenses
Banks generally borrow the money they then lend to their customers. As they receive very low-interest loans from other firms, they may borrow as much as their customers require, while lending their capital to other borrowers at higher rates. If the card issuer charges 15% on money lent to users, and it costs 5% to borrow the money to lend, and the balance sits with the cardholder for a year, the issuer earns 10% on the loan. This 5% difference is the "interest expense" and the 10% is the "net interest spread".
This is the cost of running the credit card portfolio, including everything from paying the executives who run the company to printing the plastics, to mailing the statements, to running the computers that keep track of every cardholder's balance, to taking the many phone calls which cardholders place to their issuer, to protecting the customers from fraud rings. Depending on the issuer, marketing programs are also a significant portion of expenses.
When a consumer becomes severely delinquent on a debt (often at the point of six months without payment), the creditor may declare the debt to be a charge-off. It will then be listed as such on the debtor's credit bureau reports (Equifax, for instance, lists "R9" in the "status" column to denote a charge-off.) The item will include relevant dates, and the amount of the bad debt.
A charge-off is considered to be "written off as uncollectable." To banks, bad debts and even fraud are simply part of the cost of doing business.
However, the debt is still legally valid, and the creditor can attempt to collect the full amount for the time periods permitted under state law, which is usually 3 to 7 years. This includes contacts from internal collections staff, or more likely, an outside collection agency. If the amount is large (generally over $1500–$2000), there is the possibility of a lawsuit or arbitration.
In the US, as the charge off number climbs or becomes erratic, officials from the Federal Reserve take a close look at the finances of the bank and may impose various operating strictures on the bank, and in the most extreme cases, may close the bank entirely.
[edit]Rewards
Many credit card customers receive rewards, such as frequent flyer points, gift certificates, or cash back as an incentive to use the card. Rewards are generally tied to purchasing an item or service on the card, which may or may not include balance transfers, cash advances, or other special uses. Depending on the type of card, rewards will generally cost the issuer between 0.25% and 2.0% of the spread. Networks such as Visa or MasterCard have increased their fees to allow issuers to fund their rewards system. Some issuers discourage redemption by forcing the cardholder to call customer service for rewards. On their servicing website, redeeming awards is usually a feature that is very well hidden by the issuers. Others encourage redemption for lower cost merchandise; instead of an airline ticket, which is very expensive to an issuer, the cardholder may be encouraged to redeem for a gift certificate instead. With a fractured and competitive environment, rewards points cut dramatically into an issuer's bottom line, and rewards points and related incentives must be carefully managed to ensure a profitable portfolio. Unlike unused gift cards, in whose case the breakage in certain US states goes to the state's treasury, unredeemed credit card points are retained by the issuer.
Fraud
The cost of fraud is high; in the UK in 2004 it was over £500 million.[20] When a card is stolen, or an unauthorized duplicate made, most card issuers will refund some or all of the charges that the customer has received for things they did not buy. These refunds will, in some cases, be at the expense of the merchant, especially in mail order cases where the merchant cannot claim sight of the card. In several countries, merchants will lose the money if no ID card was asked for, therefore merchants usually require ID card in these countries. Credit card companies generally guarantee the merchant will be paid on legitimate transactions regardless of whether the consumer pays their credit card bill. Most banking services have their own credit card services that handle fraud cases and monitor for any possible attempt at fraud. Employees that are specialized in doing fraud monitoring and investigation are often placed in Risk Management, Fraud and Authorization, or Cards and Unsecured Business. Fraud monitoring emphasizes minimizing fraud losses while making an attempt to track down those responsible and contain the situation. Credit card fraud is a major white collar crime that has been around for many decades, even with the advent of the chip based card (EMV) that was put into practice in some countries to prevent cases such as these. Even with the implementation of such measures, credit card fraud continues to be a problem.
How to make your auto more reliable
Labels: FINANCE, INSURANCE |Knowing how to make your automobile more reliable not only helps you make driving more pleasant but also helps you avoid unnecessary expenditures and keep insurance costs low. Social: Keeping your ride dependable is not only a matter of safety and comfort but also helps you cope with insurance costs. Here are some tips you can take to make your car a lot more reliable. If thinking of the worst investment you can make during your life, buying a car will definitely somewhere on top of that list. When taking the actual return from such an investment, you don't have to be an economist to understand that it's a total loss. However, people are still buying cars no matter how un-advantageous it might be dollar-wise, simply because it's a necessity for the modern lifestyle. And keeping your ride on the wheels is very important because it will not only save you from stress of dealing with a broken car in the middle of the road but will also help you save some money too. What to do First of all, you have to read your car's manual. Of course, it sounds very simple and obvious, but in reality no one really considers opening the manual when they buy a car. Too bad for them. The manual can be a source of valuable information on how frequently you have to maintain or check it and what namely parts require special attention. Or you can learn it all by yourself when your car breaks down. The tires are one of the most vulnerable parts of your car, because they are subjected to the most intense wear. So maintaining and monitoring them will save you a lot of headache and help you avoid such things like blown out tires. Consider buying a gouge and frequently using it. Keep in mind changing the oil frequently If there's any recommendation that could be regarded as the most important for maintaining your car it is definitely frequent oil change. Specialists recommend changing it along with the filter every 3000 miles you drive. However, sometimes it is easier said than done, especially it the new car models and sophisticated engine designs that make it quite hard for the drivers to change the oil on their own. Still, there are many inexpensive services where you can perform this operation without paying much, so spend some time finding one in your area and making up a schedule of maintenance visits. Finding a professional to help you Finding a reliable mechanic or service center is a very valuable advantage. You can ask around or check the Better Business Bureau for a list of good professionals in your area. If your mechanic has the time and ability to explain you why you have to pay a couple hundred of dollars for a little noise from your trunk, then it's a good mechanic. If he doesn't bother explaining such things, it is better to look elsewhere. A good professional always treats his clients and their cars as he should. Insuring your car Auto insurance is of course another way to make your ride dependable, but make sure to find a good deal or you may end up paying much more than you should, and that is definitely not what you want. You can check the Internet for Auto insurance quotes - there are hundreds of sites offering good deals, so take your time considering your options. Sometimes there are really good offers to check out.
Purchasing personal health coverage policy
Labels: FINANCE, INSURANCE |If you do not receive your health coverage through your job, you might be capable to obtain a policy in the capacity of an individual. Personal coverage is more difficult to purchase, more costly, and less buyer-amicable than coverage based on job, but it is better than lacking insurance altogether. Good health is never assured - even if you do not expend too much for your public health at the moment, all you need is one admission to hospital to wash you off financially.
One way to begin your pursuit for a personal insurance policy is by searching after an independent underwriter. Independent insurance providers have to record with your insurance Department of State, so they will hold a list of people granted a license to vend health coverage in state you live in. You as well may search throughout our website to find an independent insurance policy underwriter in your state.
One more alternative is to search after health coverage policy online. Our website allows you to collate policies from different insurance provider companies side by side, which appears to be a very useful function.
Below you can review some things to search for in a personal policy:
A guaranteed interchangeable coverage which cannot be canceled - this means that you can't be abrogated during the length of time that you persist to return the premiums and do not attempt to cheat the insurance company. At times, insurance companies will abrogate health coverage policies because the policy holder becomes ill, in pretty the identical way that auto insurance provider companies abrogate people that are involved in too many accidents. Unfortunately, this is absolutely lawful in many states, so discover a policy which cannot be canceled and is assured to refresh every year if you can afford. The next good thing is to find a "provisionally refreshable" policy, which means that the insurance underwriter saves the right to abrogate all policies parallel to yours, but cannot pick you out for abrogation.
A 10-day annulment term - most insurance underwriters will afford you 10 days to lean the policy papers thoroughly and settle if you still want this coverage. If you settle you do not like the conditions of the policy within the 10 days, you might annul the health insurance coverage and receive your premium back.
Terms determined in distinct way - you have to learn:
- When the coverage starts;
- What isn't covered;
- What is covered.
The grade of coverage obtainable under personal health insurance policies changes widely, and you will be having more conditions accessible to you, for your employer is not pre-choosing particular kinds of plans for you to select from. In this manner, it is specifically significant that you comprehend all of the conditions of your personal policy. If they are not distinct to you, ask your insurance company or the agent to clarify them. You are not likely to wait until you get ill to learn that your policy is not covering the services you demand.
Stock market index
Labels: FINANCE, STOCK MARKET |The movements of the prices in a market or section of a market are captured in price indices called stock market indices, of which there are many, e.g., the S&P, the FTSE and the Euronext indices. Such indices are usually market capitalization weighted, with the weights reflecting the contribution of the stock to the index. The constituents of the index are reviewed frequently to include/exclude stocks in order to reflect the changing business environment.
Financial innovation has brought many new financial instruments whose pay-offs or values depend on the prices of stocks. Some examples are exchange-traded funds (ETFs), stock index and stock options, equity swaps, single-stock futures, and stock index futures. These last two may be traded on futures exchanges (which are distinct from stock exchanges—their history traces back to commodities futures exchanges), or traded over-the-counter. As all of these products are only derived from stocks, they are sometimes considered to be traded in a (hypothetical) derivatives market, rather than the (hypothetical) stock market.
Leveraged strategies
Stock that a trader does not actually own may be traded using short selling; margin buying may be used to purchase stock with borrowed funds; or, derivatives may be used to control large blocks of stocks for a much smaller amount of money than would be required by outright purchase or sale.
Short selling
In short selling, the trader borrows stock (usually from his brokerage which holds its clients' shares or its own shares on account to lend to short sellers) then sells it on the market, hoping for the price to fall. The trader eventually buys back the stock, making money if the price fell in the meantime or losing money if it rose. Exiting a short position by buying back the stock is called "covering a short position." This strategy may also be used by unscrupulous traders to artificially lower the price of a stock. Hence most markets either prevent short selling or place restrictions on when and how a short sale can occur. The practice of naked shorting is illegal in most (but not all) stock markets.
Margin buying
In margin buying, the trader borrows money (at interest) to buy a stock and hopes for it to rise. Most industrialized countries have regulations that require that if the borrowing is based on collateral from other stocks the trader owns outright, it can be a maximum of a certain percentage of those other stocks' value. In the United States, the margin requirements have been 50% for many years (that is, if you want to make a $1000 investment, you need to put up $500, and there is often a maintenance margin below the $500). A margin call is made if the total value of the investor's account cannot support the loss of the trade. (Upon a decline in the value of the margined securities additional funds may be required to maintain the account's equity, and with or without notice the margined security or any others within the account may be sold by the brokerage to protect its loan position. The investor is responsible for any shortfall following such forced sales.) Regulation of margin requirements (by the Federal Reserve) was implemented after the Crash of 1929. Before that, speculators typically only needed to put up as little as 10 percent (or even less) of the total investment represented by the stocks purchased. Other rules may include the prohibition of free-riding: putting in an order to buy stocks without paying initially (there is normally a three-day grace period for delivery of the stock), but then selling them (before the three-days are up) and using part of the proceeds to make the original payment (assuming that the value of the stocks has not declined in the interim).
New issuance
Thomson Financial league tables
Global issuance of equity and equity-related instruments totaled $505 billion in 2004, a 29.8% increase over the $389 billion raised in 2003. Initial public offerings (IPOs) by US issuers increased 221% with 233 offerings that raised $45 billion, and IPOs in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) increased by 333%, from $ 9 billion to $39 billion.
One of the many things people always want to know about the stock market is, "How do I make money investing?" There are many different approaches; two basic methods are classified as either fundamental analysis or technical analysis. Fundamental analysis refers to analyzing companies by their financial statements found in SEC Filings, business trends, general economic conditions, etc. Technical analysis studies price actions in markets through the use of charts and quantitative techniques to attempt to forecast price trends regardless of the company's financial prospects. One example of a technical strategy is the Trend following method, used by John W. Henry and Ed Seykota, which uses price patterns, utilizes strict money management and is also rooted in risk control and diversification.
Additionally, many choose to invest via the index method. In this method, one holds a weighted or unweighted portfolio consisting of the entire stock market or some segment of the stock market (such as the S&P 500 or Wilshire 5000). The principal aim of this strategy is to maximize diversification, minimize taxes from too frequent trading, and ride the general trend of the stock market (which, in the U.S., has averaged nearly 10%/year, compounded annually, since World War II).
Taxation
Capital gains tax,
According to much national or state legislation, a large array of fiscal obligations are taxed for capital gains. Taxes are charged by the state over the transactions, dividends and capital gains on the stock market, in particular in the stock exchanges. However, these fiscal obligations may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction because, among other reasons, it could be assumed that taxation is already incorporated into the stock price through the different taxes companies pay to the state, or that tax free stock market operations are useful to boost economic growth.
How to make your auto more reliable
Labels: INSURANCE |Knowing how to make your automobile more reliable not only helps you make driving more pleasant but also helps you avoid unnecessary expenditures and keep insurance costs low. Social: Keeping your ride dependable is not only a matter of safety and comfort but also helps you cope with insurance costs. Here are some tips you can take to make your car a lot more reliable. If thinking of the worst investment you can make during your life, buying a car will definitely somewhere on top of that list. When taking the actual return from such an investment, you don't have to be an economist to understand that it's a total loss. However, people are still buying cars no matter how un-advantageous it might be dollar-wise, simply because it's a necessity for the modern lifestyle. And keeping your ride on the wheels is very important because it will not only save you from stress of dealing with a broken car in the middle of the road but will also help you save some money too. What to do First of all, you have to read your car's manual. Of course, it sounds very simple and obvious, but in reality no one really considers opening the manual when they buy a car. Too bad for them. The manual can be a source of valuable information on how frequently you have to maintain or check it and what namely parts require special attention. Or you can learn it all by yourself when your car breaks down. The tires are one of the most vulnerable parts of your car, because they are subjected to the most intense wear. So maintaining and monitoring them will save you a lot of headache and help you avoid such things like blown out tires. Consider buying a gouge and frequently using it. Keep in mind changing the oil frequently If there's any recommendation that could be regarded as the most important for maintaining your car it is definitely frequent oil change. Specialists recommend changing it along with the filter every 3000 miles you drive. However, sometimes it is easier said than done, especially it the new car models and sophisticated engine designs that make it quite hard for the drivers to change the oil on their own. Still, there are many inexpensive services where you can perform this operation without paying much, so spend some time finding one in your area and making up a schedule of maintenance visits. Finding a professional to help you Finding a reliable mechanic or service center is a very valuable advantage. You can ask around or check the Better Business Bureau for a list of good professionals in your area. If your mechanic has the time and ability to explain you why you have to pay a couple hundred of dollars for a little noise from your trunk, then it's a good mechanic. If he doesn't bother explaining such things, it is better to look elsewhere. A good professional always treats his clients and their cars as he should. Insuring your car Auto insurance is of course another way to make your ride dependable, but make sure to find a good deal or you may end up paying much more than you should, and that is definitely not what you want. You can check the Internet for Auto insurance quotes - there are hundreds of sites offering good deals, so take your time considering your options. Sometimes there are really good offers to check out.
Business insurance helps to Save your Eyesight and Vision!
Labels: INSURANCE |Nothing is promised when you decide that you want to own your own small or mid size business. Everything about the idea of owning a business screams that you are a risk taker, someone who believes in themselves, it is a business with extreme highs and lows, and that you may not be taking everything into consideration. But consider this: having the right type of protection may leave you feeling more positive about how you approach your everyday routines.
From day to day you may find that you are happier, less rigid with your employees, you may sleep better at night, and you just might take a vacation from time to time because you can relax and you deserve it. All this is possible when you research online and find the right Business insurance to protect you. Finding the right kind of coverage is easy when you know where to look and can find your policy and rates quickly. In doing so, you can easily see that you are protecting your business and your employees.
It's easy. Just check out and compare at least five policies and agencies. Soon you will be able to weed out the ones that don't suit you while you aim for the business insurance policy that is perfect. Go ahead! Cover your company now and watch as your outlook on the business world changes!
Stock Market Crash
Labels: FINANCE, STOCK MARKET |A stock market crash is often defined as a sharp dip in share prices of equities listed on the stock exchanges. In parallel with various economic factors, a reason for stock market crashes is also due to panic. Often, stock market crashes end speculative economic bubbles.
There have been famous stock market crashes that have ended in the loss of billions of dollars and wealth destruction on a massive scale. An increasing number of people are involved in the stock market, especially since the social security and retirement plans are being increasingly privatized and linked to stocks and bonds and other elements of the market. There have been a number of famous stock market crashes like the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the stock market crash of 1973–4, the Black Monday of 1987, the Dot-com bubble of 2000.
One of the most famous stock market crashes started October 24, 1929 on Black Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial lost 50% during this stock market crash. It was the beginning of the Great Depression. Another famous crash took place on October 19, 1987 – Black Monday. On Black Monday itself, the Dow Jones fell by 22.6% after completing a 5 year continuous rise in share prices. This event not only shook the USA, but quickly spread across the world. Thus, by the end of October, stock exchanges in Australia lost 41.8%, in Canada lost 22.5%, in Hong Kong lost 45.8%, and in Great Britain lost 26.4%. The names “Black Monday” and “Black Tuesday” are also used for October 28-29, 1929, which followed Terrible Thursday--the starting day of the stock market crash in 1929. The crash in 1987 raised some puzzles-–main news and events did not predict the catastrophe and visible reasons for the collapse were not identified.
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) circuit breakers
Stock Market
Labels: FINANCE, STOCK MARKET |A stock market is a public market for the trading of company stock and derivatives at an agreed price; these are securities listed on a stock exchange as well as those only traded privately.
The size of the world stock market was estimated at about $36.6 trillion US at the beginning of October 2008 . The total world derivatives market has been estimated at about $791 trillion face or nominal value, 11 times the size of the entire world economy.
The stocks are listed and traded on stock exchanges which are entities a corporation or mutual organization specialized in the business of bringing buyers and sellers of the organizations to a listing of stocks and securities together. The stock market in the United States includes the trading of all securities listed on the NYSE, the NASDAQ, the Amex, as well as on the many regional exchanges, e.g. OTCBB and Pink Sheets. European examples of stock exchanges include the London Stock Exchange, the Deutsche Börse and the Paris Bourse, now part of Euronext.
Guide to World Markets Trading
Labels: MARKET TRADING, STOCK MARKET |It has been centauries since the countries of the world understood the interdependence of each on the other. The phenomena of globalization are one of the reasons of this interdependence. The countries are trading among each other through economic zones. Also the business in the stock market has gone Trans national. All the stock markets of the world make an impact on each other’s trading patterns. Thus stock exchanges are strong indicators of the international business. Another advantage, as it may be called to the business, is the difference in the labor costs in the different countries. The booming business of outsourcing is an offshoot of this concept. The outsourcing business is now moving from the business processes to the manufacturing too. The practices like interdependence of the stock exchanges and the phenomena of outsourcing are causing great concerns to the domestic companies. The impact of outsourcing on the domestic labor is drastic.
The stock exchange index is generally confined to one country. However there are some indices, which are found in many other countries of the world too. America’s Dow Jones and S&P 500 are some of the indices. Industry specific index can also be found. The Moran Stanley Biotech index is one such. They are referred to as specialty exchanges.
The NASDAQ in New York is the world’s first electronic exchange. Set up in 1971, it has approximately 3200 companies listed with it. There are several indexes in the NASDAQ with separate base numbers and for different companies listed in them. For example there is a NASDAQ 100 index. It has base number 125 and has been traded on since 1994. Then there is NASDAQ Composite where most of the companies do business.
London too is one of the business hubs of the world. The stock exchange is one of the most influential ones. The kings of international businesses have their home ground sin London and they operate their world business from there. Being one of the biggest human settlements in the United Kingdom, London has a business of over 117,000 million pounds. The London stock exchange has been in existence since 1698 when commodity trade was rampant in the country.
Nikkei 225 is the index of the Tokyo’s Stock Exchange. The markets can boast of being the technologically most advanced in Asia if not the world. Japan after the wrath of the war of 1945 has emerged out to become one of the controllers of world trade. The work culture in the country is unmatched by any country of the world. Probably this is the reason why it is has been the world business leader for a long time. Most blue-chip companies are listed on this market.
The hazards of speculative businesses are all around. The companies have created the tricks to trade out the non-productive scrip. Insider trading, for example, means floating false information in the market by those who are at the helm of affairs. The same misguides the traders. This has to be curbed by adding a deterrent to such practices.
10 Worst Stock Market Crashes
Labels: STOCK MARKET |10 Worst Stock Market Crashes
10th Worst Stock Market Crash (1932 – 1933):
This crash required the longest recovery time of all the 10 crashes. The combination of the tech bubble bursting and the September 11th terrorist attack served a deadly blow to the stock market, but relative to markets past, this was a minor one.
Date Started: 1/15/2000
Date Ended: 10/9/2002
Total Days: 999
Starting DJIA: 11,792.98
Ending DJIA: 7,286.27
Total Loss: -37.8%
9th Worst Stock Market Crash (1916 – 1917):
This market suffered about a 40% loss.
Date Started: 11/21/1916
Date Ended: 12/19/1917
Total Days: 393
Starting DJIA: 110.15
Ending DJIA: 65.95
Total Loss: -40.1%
8th Worst Stock Market Crash (1939 to 1942):
It was one of the most grueling. It took nearly 3 years to recover from this crash! With the attack on Pearl Harbor, the markets had a very tough time.
Date Started: 9/12/1939
Date Ended: 4/28/1942
Total Days: 959
Starting DJIA: 155.92
Ending DJIA: 92.92
Total Loss: -40.4%
7th Worst Stock Market Crash (1973-1974):
Another long market crash -one that many people still remember (think Vietnam and the Watergate scandal). This crash lasted for 694 days before bottoming out.
Date Started: 1/11/1973
Date Ended: 12/06/1974
Total Days: 694
Starting DJIA: 1051.70
Ending DJIA: 577.60
Total Loss: -45.1%
6th Worst Stock Market Crash (1901 – 1903):
This is the oldest crash to make the list (DJIA records are not available before 1900).
Date Started: 6/17/1901
Date Ended: 11/9/1903
Total Days: 875
Starting DJIA: 57.33
Ending DJIA: 30.88
Total Loss: -46.1%
The 5th worst stock market Crash (1919 – 1921):
This crash followed a post war boom (Stock prices rose 51%). After the crash bottomed out in August of 1921, this decade saw tremendous growth in the stock market and the economy (often called the roaring twenties).
Date Started: 11/3/1919
Date Ended: 8/24/1921
Total Days: 660
Starting DJIA: 119.62
Ending DJIA: 63.9
Total Loss: -46.6%
The 4th worst stock market crash in U.S. History
Although this is the shortest market crash observed, it was a deadly one. Investors saw almost half their money disappear in just two months. This crash started the "Great Depression."
Date Started: 9/3/1929
Date Ended: 11/13/1929
Total Days: 71
Starting DJIA: 381.17
Ending DJIA: 198.69
Total Loss: -47.9%
3rd Worst Stock Market Crash (1906 – 1907):
This crash was called the "Panic of 1907." The U.S. Treasury department bought 36 million dollars worth of government bonds to offset the decline
Date Started: 1/19/1906
Date Ended: 11/15/1907
Total Days: 665
Starting DJIA: 75.45
Ending DJIA: 38.83
Total Loss: -48.5%
2nd Worst Stock Market Crash (1937 – 1938):
Just when investors thought the market was finally good again, following a recovery of almost half of the great depression losses, the market plunged again due to war scare and Wall street scandals.
Date Started: 3/10/1937
Date Ended: 3/31/1938
Total Days: 386
Starting DJIA: 194.40
Ending DJIA: 98.95
Total Loss: -49.1%
Worst Stock Market Crash Ever:
1932 Stock Market Crash:
Investors lost 86% of their money over this 813 day beast. This market crash combined with the 1929 crash, made up the great depression. The full recovery didn't take place until 1954.
Date Started: 4/17/1930
Date Ended: 7/8/1932
Total Days: 813
Starting DJIA: 294.07
Ending DJIA: 41.22
Total Loss: -86.0%
Credit Card History
Labels: CREDIT CARD, FINANCE |The concept of using a card for purchases was described in 1887 by Edward Bellamy in his utopian novel Looking Backward. Bellamy used the term credit card eleven times in this novel.
The modern credit card was the successor of a variety of merchant credit schemes. It was first used in the 1920s, in the United States, specifically to sell fuel to a growing number of automobile owners. In 1938 several companies started to accept each other's cards. Western Union had begun issuing charge cards to its frequent customers in 1921. Some charge cards were printed on paper card stock, but were easily counterfeited.
The Charga-Plate was an early predecessor to the credit card and used during the 1930s and late 1940s. It was a 2 1/2" x 1 1/4" rectangle of sheet metal, similar to a military dog tag, that was embossed with the customer's name, city and state (no address). It held a small paper card for a signature. It was laid in the imprinter first, then a charge slip on top of it, onto which an inked ribbon was pressed. Charga-Plate was a trademark of Farrington Manufacturing Co. Charga-Plates were issued by large-scale merchants to their regular customers, much like department store credit cards of today. In some cases, the plates were kept in the issuing store rather than held by customers. When an authorized user made a purchase, a clerk retrieved the plate from the store's files and then processed the purchase. Charga-Plates speeded back-office bookkeeping that was done manually in paper ledgers in each store, before computers.
The concept of customers paying different merchants using the same card was invented in 1950 by Ralph Schneider and Frank X. McNamara, founders of Diners Club, to consolidate multiple cards. The Diners Club, which was created partially through a merger with Dine and Sign, produced the first "general purpose" charge card, and required the entire bill to be paid with each statement. That was followed by Carte Blanche and in 1958 by American Express which created a worldwide credit card network.
Bank of America created the BankAmericard in 1958, a product which, with its overseas affiliates, eventually evolved into the Visa system. MasterCard came to being in 1966 when a group of credit-issuing banks established MasterCharge; it received a significant boost when Citibank merged its proprietary Everything Card, launched in 1967, into Master Charge in 1969. The fractured nature of the U.S. banking system meant that credit cards became an effective way for those who were traveling around the country to move their credit to places where they could not directly use their banking facilities. In 1966 Barclaycard in the UK launched the first credit card outside of the U.S.
There are now countless variations on the basic concept of revolving credit for individuals (as issued by banks and honored by a network of financial institutions), including organization-branded credit cards, corporate-user credit cards, store cards and so on.
In contrast, although having reached very high adoption levels in the US, Canada and the UK, it is important to note that many cultures were much more cash-oriented in the latter half of the twentieth century, or had developed alternative forms of cash-less payments, such as Carte bleue or the Eurocard (Germany, France, Switzerland, and others). In these places, the take-up of credit cards was initially much slower. It took until the 1990s to reach anything like the percentage market-penetration levels achieved in the US, Canada, or the UK. In many countries acceptance still remains poor as the use of a credit card system depends on the banking system being perceived as reliable.
In contrast, because of the legislative framework surrounding banking system overdrafts, some countries, France in particular, were much faster to develop and adopt chip-based credit cards which are now seen as major anti-fraud credit devices.
The design of the credit card itself has become a major selling point in recent years. The value of the card to the issuer is often related to the customer's usage of the card, or to the customer's financial worth. This has led to the rise of Co-Brand and Affinity cards - where the card design is related to the "affinity" (a university, for example) leading to higher card usage. In most cases a percentage of the value of the card is returned to the affinity group.
